Dugan aims to be known for his game, not his name

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The Phillies did not have a first-round draft pick in 2009, but their first overall pick in the second round had a pretty good story even before he played his first professional game.

Kelly Dugan was a switch-hitting high school kid from Southern California whose father, Dennis, is a Hollywood director and a close friend of actor and comedian Adam Sandler.

That story, of course, got told a few times when Dugan was drafted with the 75th overall pick and again when he signed with the Phillies. A photograph of Dugan, his father, and the cast of the 2010 movie Grown Ups, directed by Dennis Dugan, circulated shortly after the Phillies drafted the outfielder.

Chris Rock, David Spade, and Kevin James are all wearing Phillies caps. Sandler also is in the photo, but did not don the red cap.

Now, two years into his professional career, Dugan wants to distance himself from that photo and any perceived celebrity status. He wants to prove he has what it takes to climb the ladder to the big leagues.

"Everything was a little awkward at first," Dugan said before a recent game at Bowman Field, home to the Williamsport Crosscutters, the Phillies' New York-Penn League affiliate. "It wasn't my decision to take that photo, believe me. I wouldn't have taken it, but my dad insisted because he wanted to do it.

"I think people know what kind of guy I am. I really just love hitting. I love it. I'm just about hitting all the time. I'm into watching the game and I really enjoy my conversations with the hitting coach. That's what I'm about. I'm not about being a celebrity or anything like that."

Saying those words is one thing. Producing on the field is another. Dugan, 20, has taken a major stride in the right direction in his second full professional season. Before Wednesday's game against the Staten Island Yankees, Williamsport manager Mickey Morandini presented him with a gift certificate to a steak house for being named the organization's most recent minor-league player of the week.

"I've never gotten anything like that since I've been here," Dugan said. "But I think a lot of guys on this team could have easily gotten that, because we've been winning."

Dugan earned the award by hitting .324 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 15 RBIs in July and overall is hitting .284 with two homers and 21 RBIs for a Williamsport team that started play in mid-June.

"I guess it's nice to be acknowledged, because that was a good month," he said. "But I want to keep pushing."

The season started in disappointing fashion for Dugan when he was informed that he'd remain at extended spring training in Clearwater, Fla., instead of going to single-A Lakewood. He said that, too, was a lesson learned.

"I have learned that they're making the decisions up top and you have no control over that," he said. "I expected to get promoted, but I also learned you're not going to get promoted unless you earn a promotion in this game. Unfortunately, I got injured last year [staph infection in his leg] and I missed more than half the year. I had to come back and get my at-bats in extended and prove I could hit."

Dugan did not play Wednesday or Thursday because of a sore back, but Morandini has been impressed by his rightfielder's progress.

"He has been one of our most consistent hitters," the Williamsport manager said. "He has played a great right field and has had some excellent jumps on balls. His arm kind of grows on you. He's accurate and his throwing is coming along real good. I'm real happy with the way he has played."

Dugan was a switch-hitter at Notre Dame High School in California, but he is now hitting only lefthanded.

"That was an adjustment," he said. "I had to learn how to face lefthanded pitching hitting lefthanded."

He is batting only .200 (9 for 45) with no extra-base hits against lefties, compared with .313 (41 for 131) with 10 extra-base hits against righthanders.

"I just decided last year that I'd stick with hitting from the left side," he said. "I thought I'd be able to hit lefthanded pitching better if I just stuck with doing it this way. Switch-hitting isn't off the table, but it's what I decided for now."

He has also decided that he wants to be known as a hardworking baseball player rather than the son of a Hollywood director. Time and his ability will determine if he can get the former label to stick.

Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at bbrookover@phillynews.com or @brookob on Twitter.